Prosper Montagné - Larousse Gastronomique - 1938

A copy in very good condition of the original edition of the Bible of French gastronomy, presented in the form of a dictionary.
It begins with 'Abaisse,' a term that designates a portion of dough rolled out with a rolling pin, and ends with 'Zwieback,' which is a kind of biscuit.

The author Prosper Montagné, master chef (and… journalist), succeeded, with the help of many chefs of the era, in gathering in 1,087 pages in two columns an encyclopedic synthesis of French gastronomy (and European).

More precisely, the work brings together:
- Thousands of recipes, classics of French cuisine (regional and bourgeois), but also foreign recipes integrated into the culinary tradition.
- Culinary techniques, preparation methods, cooking methods, sauces, cuts, the foundations of professional cooking.
- Information sheets on food products, including meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, spices, cheeses, with their culinary uses and sometimes their origin.
- Not forgetting pastries and confectionery, desserts, entremets, ice creams, chocolate making, viennoiseries, as well as wines, spirits, beverages and liqueurs with pairings and wine regions.
- Notices on the history and culture of gastronomy (famous chefs, historical dishes, regional traditions, dining terms)
- Definitions of technical terms and gastronomic expressions enabling a precise culinary vocabulary.

Since its publication, this book has enjoyed enormous success in the professional world and among enthusiasts; it has been used as a reference work in hotel schools and professional schools.

This original 1938 edition has undergone several modernized reissues, in which there are commentaries by renowned chefs:

- Jacques Pépin, personal chef to three French presidents (Charles de Gaulle, Georges Pompidou and
Valéry Giscard d’Estaing) :
“The Larousse is the first place I look when I need to clarify a cooking question. The greatest reference book, it is a fascinating read.”
This wording is reproduced in the bibliographic overview of the English-language editions.

- Anthony Bourdain, American chef, famous for his book "Kitchen Confidential":
The bible of cooking. The all‑time argument ender. Early in my cooking career, I wielded my Larousse like a weapon and it never let me down. »
The bible of cooking. The last word in any discussion. At the start of my culinary career, I used the Larousse as a weapon, and it never let me down.

This original 1938 edition had a very important historical role.
Thanks to this book, Prosper Montagné (and all his collaborators) have contributed to strengthening the French culinary identity in several essential ways:
He laid the foundations of 'classic' cuisine.
Montagné preserved regional recipes while adapting them to the professional methods of the 20th century; he linked tradition and modernity by gathering recipes, techniques, and terms, and he contributed to standardizing French cuisine at a time when much knowledge was oral or varied by region.
Gastronomy is no longer merely a practical art: it has become a field of structured knowledge, worthy of study and written transmission.
He turned cooking into encyclopedic knowledge.
By defining what a dish is, what a sauce is, and what a 'à la française' product is, Montagné helped build a collective gastronomic memory.
The work has been translated and used abroad, making the French culinary model a global reference.
The Larousse Gastronomique has become a practical tool for chefs, restaurateurs, and hospitality schools.
He contributed to the French culinary identity.
All of this makes this book an indispensable addition to any culinary library.


The offered copy has a publisher's green cloth binding in perfect condition, adorned on the front board with a raised relief motif depicting a chicken rotisserie, with the title and the rotisserie's flame in gold.
On the back, there is a pattern of a fork and a spoon.

The interior is in perfect condition as well, except for two stains on the two endpapers at the beginning and end of the copy, stains (sauce? fingerprints? during the making of a recipe?)
a crease with no missing part on the first sheet. (see these defects in the last 4 photos)

1,850 engravings and 16 color plates accompany the text.
(the knife and fork in the photos are not part of the purchase)
One of the greatest classics of French gastronomy, featured in the libraries of great chefs, both French and foreign.